Different multi-needle quilting machines are well-known from the state of the art technology. In this connection, so-called lock stitch multi-needle quilting machines must be distinguished from chain stitch multi-needle quilting machines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,499 shows a lock stitch multi-needle quilting machine with one or more needle bars, each provided with a multitude of stitch forming needles. In case of this pre-known lock stitch multi-needle quilting machine, single needles can be moved, dependent on the pattern to be quilted, back and forth between two positions by means of pneumatic cylinders; whereby these needles participate in a first position in the quilting procedure, and are lifted in a second position in such a way that they do not prick into the quilting material during the quilting procedure.
With the chain stitch or double chain stitch, a needle takes a thread to the deepest point of its movement and forms a thread loop during the following upward movement. Whereas the needle returns to its highest position after the forming of the thread loop, a looper enters the thread loop with a looper thread. During the transport of the quilting material to the next stitch in quilting direction and the next downward movement of the needle, the looper is turned back to its initial position, whereas the needle stitches into a thread triangle spread out by the thread loop and the looper thread, thus forming a chain link of the chain stitch seam.
Compared with the lock stitch, the chain stitch or double chain stitch has the advantage forming smooth seams and largely avoiding the so-called displacement crimping as, contrary to the lock stitch, the tangle of needle and looper thread is not dragged into the quilting material but located on the bottom of the quilting material. Moreover thinner sewing threads can be used with chain stitches or double chain stitches compared to the lock stitch. Furthermore the chain stitch or double chain stitch has the advantage in comparison with the lock stitch that the needle thread is subject to an abrasion considerably lower resulting from the fact that less thread is pulled back and forth through the needle's eye per stitch forming with the double chain stitch. Altogether the chain stitch or double chain stitch shows the larger strength compared to the lock stitch. The disadvantage with the chain stitch or double chain stitch consists that even insignificant slip stitches or a thread break in the area of the needle and/or looper thread leads to that the thread chain can easily be opened.
Several chain stitch multi-needle quilting machines with stitch forming quilting elements are well-known from the state of the art technology. Generally, such chain stitch multi-needle quilting machines comprise one or more needle bars with attached needles as well as looper shafts, which number corresponds to the number of needle bars with attached loopers. Needle bars and looper shafts are located on the opposite sides of a quilting material support formed as perforated plate with a tap hole for each needle provided in the quilting material support. Most different patterns can be made in a quilting material with such chain stitch multi-needle machines. In this connection, even patterns can be made having single, each identical or different pattern elements being located distantly from each other.
In order to create such kind of patterns in a quilting material it is well-known to move the quilting material on the quilting material support not only in the main quilting direction but also oppositely and at least in a right angle to it. The forming of chain stitches and double chain stitches requires that each stitch is performed accurately so that highest care regarding the forming of a seam is provided. If, for example, several pattern elements are arranged in a quilting material distantly from each other, the quilting material will be moved to a position where the next pattern element is to be quilted after the first pattern element is finished. The needle bar bearing the needles is in a lifted position and the looper shaft bearing the loopers in a returned position. During this procedure, the looper thread, pulled off from a bobbin, is guided along the bottom of the quilting material without being connected with the quilting material in this area.
It could be optionally intended with chain stitch multi-needle quilting machines that the needle thread is cut by a cutting device after one pattern element is finished and that a completely new quilting procedure is initiated at the beginning of the next pattern element.